Tracker for player-pianos.



, L: w. BULL. TRACKER FOR PLAYER PIANos.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 10, 1911.

Patented Jan.28, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. W. BULL.

' TRACKER FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1o, 1911.

Patented Jan. 28, 1913 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

located between the noteaperforations, that FRANK WESLEY BULL, 0F OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA..

TRACKER FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 10, 1911. Serial No. 618,503.

` Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK. WESLEY BULL, of the town of Oshawa, in the county of Ontario, in the Province of Ontario, Canada,

Shave invented certain new and/useful Improvements in Trackers for Player-Pianos, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trackers for player pianos and the object of the invention is to devise a simple automat-ic and efficient means for correcting the faulty alinement of the music roll as it crosses the A tracker bar and perforations thereof so that every note will be played correctly and continuously as the roll passes over the bar, such faulty alinement resulting from swollen or shrunken rolls, from faulty roll flanges or torn or mutilated edges or by the roll flanges extending beyond the width of the rOll.

It consists essentially of a longitudinal tracker bar having a series of small perforations located bet-weenfthe note perforations of the tracker bar,supplemental openings locatedy in proximity `to each end of the tracker bar and substantially opposite the path of travel of the edge of the music roll, a valve box provided with suitable valves and ducts extending between the perforations and openings of the tracker bar and the valve chamber in such a way so as to control .the longitudinal movements of the tracker bar when the perforations located between the note perforations are uncovered and one of the aforesaid openings are covered as hereinafter more particularly described by the following specification.

Figure 1, is a front elevation of my device. Fig. 2, is a plan view of my device. Fig. 3,

is a rear detail elevation of the valve box.,

Fig. 4, is a sectional elevation of Ithe valve box. Fig.` 5, is an enlarged detail face view of the tracker bar. Fig. 6, is an enlarged sectional detail of one of the valves located in the valve box. f

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is the frame of the instrument.

A is the tracker bar provided with stems A2 and A3 and A* slidably held within the side portions 2 and 2 of the frame A. The tracker bar A is provided with the usual eighty-eight air ducts for notes A5.

A'5 are va series of supplemental air ducts is to say, directly above the partition dividing the no-te perforations. A

A7 is a duct secured .to the back of the tracker bar A and into which the erforations A6 lead. The duct A" is provi ed with a nipple AB.

A? and A10 are supplemental ducts formed in the tracker bar in proximity lto each end thereof and substantially opposite the path of travel of each edge of the. paper of the music roll.

A11 andA12 are nipples extending from the ducts A9 and A1".l

A13 and A14 are bearings for supporting the music roll and A15 is t-he take-up roll.

B is the main tube leading from the main reservoir to thewind chest B.

C is the valve'box designed to control the movement of the tracker bar when the air lducts A8 and ducts A9 or A1 are uncovered.

I will now describe the construction of the valve box. C; C is the lower valve chamber (see Fig. 4) and C2 the upper valve chamber. comprises-the base board C3 having recesses C4 and C5 into which ducts C6 and C7 extend, the recesses C4 and C5 are provided with pouches CB extending over the same. Dis a partition extending across the valve chamber intermediately of the height thereof and dividing such chamber into a vacuum chamber D and the chamber D2 which is open to the atmosphere. D3 are orifices extending through the partition D above and below which are secured the upper and lower valve seats D* and D5. D is the valve stem extending through the orifices D7` and D8. stem is provided with the buttons D resting upon the pouch C8. D10 and D11 are the upper and' lower valves designed to co-act alternately with the upper andA lower valve seats D* and D5 respectively. E and E are the lower pneumatics. IE2 and Es are ducts leading from the lower pneumatic E and E to the orifices D3. F and FTare the upper pneumatics supported upon the end boards F2 at each end of the upper valve chamber C2. i

The valve chamber C2 is similarly constructed to thel lower valve chamber C as hereinbefore described and is provided with similar ducts F3 leading from the upper pneumatics F and F tofthe orifices F and F5 in which the valves F and F7 operate and The lower valve chamber C"A The lower end of the valveco-act with the seats F8 and F". Beneath the upper valve chamber C2 `is located a supf plemental valve chamber G having a`base board'G supported upon thed top board C9 vvertical portions G* and G5 extending lms y:as

through the upper face of the board G.

G6 and Gf' are nipples secured in the outer ends of the ducts G2 and G3 (see Fig. l)

C10 and C11 are nipples secured' in the ducts C and C7.

C12 and C are crossed tubes connecting the nipple G8 with the nipple C11 and the nipple G'I with the nipple C10.

H is a divided wind chest, the portion H of which communicates with theV vacuum` chamber D of the lower valve chamber C by means ofthe orifice H2.

Hs is a tube leading from the portion H of the wind chest H to the main lwind chest B.

I is a tube leadin from the portions H4 of the wind chest Hgto the duct A secured to the tracker bar A and with which the ducts A communicater y J is a slide valve spring held against-the board G; by the s prin s J and J2. The slide vvalve J is provi ed with a central cross bar Ja connected by links J and J to the lugs F10 and F11 secured to the movable, ortions of the upper pneumatics F and' J andl J1 are nip les extending through the slide valve J an forming ducts leading to-the lower face of the slide valve.-

H and H areI nipples leading into the portions H* of the wlnd chest H. H7 and H are tubes' leading from the nipples H5 and H to the nipples J and J Kvis a Wind c est secured vto the casing of the upper valve chamber C2 and communicating with the vacuum chamber C by means of the orifice K.

Kz is a tube leadin from the wind chest -K to the main win'd c est B'. l

L and L are nipples secured in the ducts L2 and Ls shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

L4 and L's are tubes leading from the nipples Land L to the nip les A and A communicating with the air ducts A* and A of the .tracker bar. y p y I v M'is a link pivotally connected at each end to the movable portions of the lower pneumaties E and E.

' N is a lever pivotally'connected uponthe ]bracket N' intermediately of its length.

Theouter end .of the lever N is pivotally connected to the flattened-end of the stem' 4 AQ'CThe op osite end of the lever'is connected by fallnk N to the lug N' secured to the lower neumatic E. The opposite end of the lin passes through the" enlarged opening inthe lever N and's secured in lwith Ds and lifting t e valve position therein by the semi-spherical nuts vN4 and N5 bearing against each side of the of the ducts A9 and A10 and the ducts A .normally covered, should the perforations of the paper, however, for any reason be out of alinement with the noteperforations of the tracker bar it will necessarily uncover the supplemental perforations tracker bar located between the note perforations. For the purpose of illustration We will assume that the paper has moved in the direction of the arrow or that the edge of the paper or the position of the perforations therein are faulty therebv covering the duct A1 and uncovering the ducts A6. When this takes place the air passes through the tube L, through the nipple L of the tube, into the recess beneath the Valve F thereby raising the ouch thereof and the valve oi the seat and against the seat F. By this operation suction is produced from the upper pneumatic F, throu h the duct F3, orifice K', wind chest Ktu e K2 leading to the main wind chest B which is connected to the main bellows by the tube B. This operation draws the pneumatic F into its closed position allowlng the pneumatic F which remains open to the atmosphere to open. The pneumatics F and F as hereinbefore described are connected by the, links J and Jl5 to the slide valve J thereby moving the slide valve so that the nip le J 7 re isters with the extension Gls of tiie duct 3. lows the air to pass from the ducts A through the duct A", through the wind chest H, tube H1, nipple J1, duct Gs leading to the nipple G communicating with the tube C and the nipple C11 communicating with the recess C beneath the pouch'of the valve D to the left of Fig. 4 thereby raising the valve disk D11 upon the late corres onding isk D1 against the seat D* and thereby placing the pneumatic .E in communication with the vacuum chamber D by means of the duct E and thereby drawing the neumatic E into its closed position. T is yoperation moves'the tracker bar by means of the link N and the lever N so as to carry the note erforations into alinement with the perorations of. the `music roll. It will of course be understood that the same operation takes place should the pa er move in the ,opposite direction or shou d the openings Aj beuncovered and the opening A at the opposite end of the tracker bar be covered slmultaneously for any other reason.

of the This operation al' direction to that previously described thereby bringing the nipple J in a position to register with the ducts Gr4 and G2, air then passes through the'uncovered perforations A", through the tube I, wind chest H, tube H", through the nipple G* and duct G2 to the nipple G" from whence it passes through the tu e C12 to the nipple C10 connected by the duct C to the recess 4C thereby lifting the corresponding valve supported over the same and bringing the pneumatic E into communication with the vacuum chamber D through the duct E". This operation closes thelpneumatic E thereby moving the tracker bar in the opposite direction to that hereinbefore described.

It will be seen from this description that I have devised a very simple device whereby the tracker bar may be pneumatically moved so as to carry the note perforations of the same into alinement with the perforations of the music roll thereby insuring that the perforations of. the paper track with the note perforations of the tracker bar.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In a tracker for player pianos, thev combination with the tracker bar having the usual note ducts therein, of supplemental centerducts located opposite the partitions between adjacent note ducts, and end ducts in proximit to the yends of the tracker bar and norma 1y outside of the path of the travel of the edges of the perforated paper4 and contiguous thereto, and means operated by the uncovering of the supplemental center ducts when the perforationsof the paper move laterally and also by the coverin of one end duct by the lateral movement o the edges of the paper whereby the note ducts are again brought into alinement with the perforations, of the music roll.

2. In a tracker for' player pianos, the combination with the tracker bar having the usual note ducts and supplemental ducts locatedopposite the partltions between adjacent ducts and end ducts located in proximity to each en'd of the tracker bar, in a line with the note ducts and normally outside of the path of the travel of the edges of the music sheet and contiguous thereto, of means operated by the uncovering of the supplemental ducts located opposite the partitions between the note ducts and the .cevering of one of the end ducts of the bar designed to move the bar longitudinally to car the note ducts into alinement with the per orations of the music roll, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a tracker for player pianos, the combination with the tracker bar having the usual note ducts, and supplemental ducts located opposite the partitions between the adjacent note ducts and having end ducts located in proximity to the end of the tracker bar, in a line with the note ducts and normally outside of the path oft-ravel of the edge of the music sheet and contiguous thereto and a main wind chest, of a valve box, pneumatics communicating therewith, and connected to the tracker bar and valves located in the valve box, and operated by the uncovering of the supplemental ducts, and the covering of one of the end ducts of the tracker bar thereby connectin the pneumatics to the main wind chest, an means consisting of a pair of tubes joining said valve box with a second lower valve box of similar construction which in turn communicates with a second set of pneumatics provided with means operating so as to move the tracker bar and the note ducts thereof into alinement with the perforations of the music roll, as and for the purpose speciiied.

4. In a tracker for player pianos, the combination with the tracker bar having the usualnote ducts and supplemental ducts located opposite the partitions between adjacent note ducts and end ducts located in proximity to the end of the tracker bar, in a line with the note ducts and normally outside of the path of travel of the edge of the music sheet and contiguous thereto and a main wind chest, of a valve box having an upper and lower valve chamber therein, each divided into a vacuum chamber and a chamber open to the atmosphere, valves 1ocated between each vacuum chamber and the chamber open to the atmosphere, ducts leading from the supplemental ducts of the tracker bar to beneath the valves of the lower valve chamber, ducts leading from the end ducts of the tracker bar to beneath the valves of the upper chamber, means con` nected with the pneumatics of the upper chamber of the valve box, and operated by the raising of the valves of the said upper valve chamber, so as to open or close communication through ducts leading from the upper valve chamber to the lower valve chamber, pneumatics connected to the lower vacuum chamber and to the tracker bar and designed to be brought into communication with the vacuum chamber and main wind chest to move the tracker bar and the note ducts thereof into alinement with the perforations of the music roll, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a tracker for player pianos, the combination with the tracker bar having the usual note ducts and supplemental ducts 1ocated opposite the partltlons between adjacent note ducts and end ducts located in Y roximity to the end of the tracker bar, in a ine with the note ducts and normally outside of the path of travel of the edge of the nected with the main wind chest and achamber communicating with the atmosphere, pneumatics supported at each end of each valve chamber, ducts communicating between the pneumatics and the vacuum chambers, a pair of pneumaticall operated valves for each vacuum chamber esigned to alternatel connect each pneumatic with the vacuum c amber and the atmospheric chambers, ducts leadin from the end ducts of the tracker bar toeneath the valves of the upper chamber, a slide valve operated by e the upper neumatics, ducts extending through the s ide valve operated by the upper pneumatics, a supplemental wind chest,

tubes connectin the ducts of the slide valve with the supp emental wind chest, a duct leading from the sup lemental wind chest to the su plem'ental ucts located between the note ucts of the tracker bar, ducts in the seat of the slide valve designed to alternately re 'ster with the slide valve ducts, and tu oonnectin the ducts of the slide valve seatto the ducts eadin beneaththe valves of the lower chamber, an a link and lever connection between the plneumatics of the lower valve chamber and t e tracker bar designed to move said bar and the note ducts thereof into alinement with the perforations of the music sheet when the su plemental ducts are uncovered, as and for e purpose specified.

FRANK WESLEY BULL- Witnesses:

H. PRESTON, B. "BOYD, 

